


Homecoming

by DreamingOf4A



Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: Arguing, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, M/M, Plans For The Future, Retirement, Sappy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-14
Updated: 2017-08-14
Packaged: 2018-12-15 04:33:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11798487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamingOf4A/pseuds/DreamingOf4A
Summary: Summer 2017. Javier goes back to Toronto to train after weeks spent in Spain. Yuzuru is mad at him, but won't say why. Javier finds out about Seimei. Then they finally talk.





	Homecoming

**Author's Note:**

> This is based on a weird idea I got about Javier. It's kind of complicated and possibly fully fictional, but I had to write it. Set before Yuzu's open days when he announced Seimei.

_Disclaimer: This story is fiction and does not in any way reflect on the real life people that share their names with these characters. It is also not intended to offend or disrespect and it exists simply because I find it really interesting to imagine how other people - potentially - live their lives._

“Hello!”

“Oh, look who’s here!” Javier remarked as the other Javier walked in and waved with a sheepish smile.

“Welcome back!” Gabby called out as she skated by.

“What? No hugs?” Javi asked mock pouting.

“Sorry, no hugs in my repertoire! I’ll leave those to Yuzu!” she called back with a wink, then skated away to practice her spins.

“Speaking of which, he should be in the changing room.”

“Ah, I was wondering…”

“For once, you’re not that late.” Sonia quipped as she stopped next to Javier.

The other Javier rolled his eyes and turned to go change, when Javier’s voice reached him again.

“Be careful!”

“Careful? What about?”

“You’ll see!” his countryman grinned and Javier rolled his eyes again.

As he reached the men’s changing room, he pushed the door open. Sitting on a bench, in his Under Armour pants and still topless, tying his skates, was his teammate and main rival.

Yuzuru Hanyu.

Reigning Olympic and World Champion.

Also reigning Pooh Overlord and unofficially - and behind his back - awarded the “Loudest laughter” award by the TCC Skaters Union. 

Also unbeknownst to him, he was also one of the most important people in Javier’s life and all the weeks he’d spent in Spain had made him realize how much he’d miss him after he retired.

But until then, they had a full season to make great memories together.

“Yuzu, tadaima!” Javi called out as he walked in, startling the younger man.

He got a confused blink, then a pout and a huff. Eventually, a very reluctant “Okaeri.”

Well. That was unusual.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Yuzu.”

“Is nothing. We have practice.”

With that the champion stood up, shrugged into the impossibly tight tshirt, then grabbed his overshirt.

“Are you mad at me?”

“Not mad.”

“Then what’s wrong?”

“Nothing wrong.”

“Yuzu! Even when we weren’t yet friends you gave me warmer welcomes than this!”

Yuzu rolled his eyes.

“Ok, now I know you’re mad at me. Tell me what I did.”

“Nothing.”

“Yuzu, come on… I hate it when you’re mad and I want to fix this. Please talk to me.”

“Nothing to talk.”

Javier paused for a second watching Yuzuru browse through his earphones.

“Have you forgotten already? How good our talking before Worlds was?”

“Javi…”

“Ok, I won’t say that’s why you won. But you can’t tell me you didn’t feel better after we cleared everything up.”

Yuzuru sighed and sat back down, fingering his earphones.

“Tell me? Please?”

“Fine. But not now. Now, practice. We lost enough time. Especially Javi.”

“... Is that what this is about? I did work hard in Spain, you know!”

“Sure.”

“Oh, you don’t believe me? Ask David! He’ll confirm!”

Yuzu rolled his eyes again.

“Now what?”

“David not Javi’s personal choreo.”

“Yes, I know that.”

“But you take to Spain.”

“... Did you want to work with David now? You have Jeff and Shae!”

“Jeff is lost in Japan. But also, Cricket Club not just Javi and Yuzu.”

“Oh my God. If David hears you’re questioning his work ethics, he will so kick your ass!”

“I am not!”

“Yes you are. If you think he’d dump his other skaters just to be in Spain with me.”

“Never mind. I go practice now. Javi, too, should change and practice.”

“Right, because I’m falling behind right?” Javi said, sarcasm dripping from every word.

Yuzu paused at the door, hand in the handle.

“Yes.”

~.~

Five minutes later, in a much fouler mood, Javier made it back to the rink.

Yuzuru was doing some power skating, which surprised Javi. But then he turned to look at Javier who stopped next to him.

“ _ Aww… problemas con la esposa? _ ”

Javi punched him in the arm and then apologized, because he’d put his frustration into the punch and it must have hurt.

“What is up with him?”

“Pooh-withdrawal, maybe?” Javier said, then winced as Sonia skated behind him and hit him over the head.

“Pooh-withdrawal?”

“Yuzu has been skating without Pooh. He’s trying to get used to let go of such things for Olympics.”

“Oh, I see…”

“But don’t believe this idiot. That’s not why he’s upset.”

“Well, why is he?”

“Isn’t it obvious? You’ve been away for too long.”

“... you can’t be serious!”

“Well, there might be more, but… he asked about you every week. And I overheard him tell Brian he worried about you falling behind if you didn’t come back soon.”

“What did Brian tell him?”

“I don’t know. He took him to his office. I’m not sure what happened, but he hasn’t asked since and his mood got worse. Also, that day, he didn’t land any jumps anymore. Brian sent him home early before he hurt himself.”

“Ouch…”

“I guess you’ll need to hear the rest of the story from him or Brian.”

“Yeah…”

“Oh, run-through time!”

“Run-through?”

“Yuzu’s FS!”

Javier’s eyes widened and a smile took residence on his lips. He’d been looking forward to Yuzu’s new FS!

And then the pose and the sound of an in-drawn breath made his jaw fall open.

“Seimei!”

“Yep.”

“That’s exactly how we reacted!”

“He’s even cooler now, Javi!” Gabby added as she latched onto his arm.

Javier noticed none of it. His eyes were glued to Yuzuru performing his free program like he’d been doing it forever, like he’d been born to skate it. By now, it felt like the music had been written specifically for him.

When he was done, Javier was in awe.

Seimei had been perfect two years earlier.

Now it seemed to have transcended perfection.

As his eyes met Yuzu’s across the ice, he understood.

Yuzuru knew.

Brian must have told him.

Shaking his head, he focused on his training. Yuzu was right. He must not fall behind. He had his own mission to accomplish.

~.~

After a couple of hours, they took a break.

As the weather was nice, Javier decided to take Yuzu outside and talk.

He walked up to his teammate and saw his hands clenching and un-clenching. As if he felt he should be grasping something.

He offered Yuzu a tissue from his own box.

Yuzu looked up at him, then nodded and took one with a thank you and blew his nose.

“I heard you’re trying to de-Pooh yourself.”

“Pooh not allowed at rink in Pyeongchang. Must get used.”

“You were fine in Sochi.”

“Yes… but got attach recently.”

“Ah, I see…”

“Too many ritual…”

“Right. Hey, the weather’s really nice and you promised we’d talk, so… want to go outside? Should be more private.”

Yuzu bit his lip and hesitated, but then nodded.

They both changed into sneakers and headed outside, with their vitamin drink bottles.

There they found a somewhat secluded patch of grass, in the shade of a tree and sat down.

“So… Seimei…”

“Yeah…”

“It was awesome. Even more so than before.”

“I know.”

Javi had to laugh at that.

“When did you decide?”

“Was always plan. Since 2016.”

“Ehh?!”

“But final decision after Helsinki.”

“Oh…”

“Hope and Legacy was good lesson for develop Seimei.”

“... You are unbelievable!”

Yuzu shrugged, picking at the grass.

“You don’t seem happy though.”

“I am.”

“Hmm… so, you knew  before Fantasy… Why didn’t you tell me? I told you mine.”

“I had hesitation.”

“You did? Why?”

Yuzuru was quiet for a while, then sighed deeply.

“If do Seimei to Javi’s FS, Javi have no chance.”

Javier was stunned.

“What?”

“Javi FS can’t beat upgraded Seimei.”

“... That’s a bit overconfident!”

“No is not. Quad kids can still beat, if lucky. Javi can’t. Not with FS program and layout.”

With a sigh, Javi gave up arguing.

“That’s no reason to hesitate, though.”

“...”

“We’re rivals. If I can’t beat you, that’s one rival less to worry about.”

Yuzuru shook his head.

“Yuzu. I will never forgive you if you lose your competitiveness because of me!”

“But Javi lose his because of me is ok?!”

Javi blinked at the sudden outburst and was particularly startled by the tears in Yuzu’s eyes, now staring into his with great intensity.

“What?”

“Brian tell me. Javi don’t aim for Gold. Gold is Yuzu, so aim for Silver.”

“Yuzu, that’s not…”

“I don’t want that! I don’t want present, I don’t want pity.”

“What? No! That’s not what that means!”

“I want Javi as rival and teammate. But I want as rival. I want win in front of Javi. I want lose in front of Javi. I want every competition to be between me and Javi. I want podium with Javi, always!”

“Yuzu… I appreciate what you’re saying, but that’s not realistic.”

“I don’t care!”

“Yuzu, come on. You’re probably the most pragmatic man I know.”

Yuzuru just pouted.

“Yuzu… don’t be like that…”

“I just want to be with Javi…”

“That could be so easily misunderstood…”

Yuzu glared at him.

“Look, Yuzu… I know it’s probably hard for you to understand. But please believe me. I’m happy like this. I want a medal, yes. I want any medal. No, I don’t think I don’t deserve Olympic Gold. I’m old and experienced enough to know that the one who wins, who is better on that particular day, deserves it. It could be me. But I don’t want it as much as you do. And I just so happen to be contemporary with the greatest skater of all time. And I am beyond honored even just to have skated on the same ice as him. That I can call him my friend is already beyond words. And that’s not Plushenko, much as we both, to some extent, owe our careers to him. That’s you. I want you to have that gold. Because Olympic Gold should go to the best ever. It doesn’t always. But it should.”

“Javi…”

“Let me finish, please. You told me in Helsinki that you wouldn’t have gotten any of your wins without me. You have no idea what that felt like. But it’s true for me, too. You gave me confidence like no one else ever. Like Brian could have never managed by himself. And although you say I’ve helped, I don’t feel I’ve actually done anything to repay you. It’s not a present and it’s most definitely not pity. It might not even amount to anything. But, it’s my way of saying thank you. And showing how much I look up to you. So, please believe me when I say this makes me happy. And please let me be part of Team Yuzu this season. Please let Team Javi be the support for Team Yuzu. Let me be your support.”

Javi waited a bit awkwardly, hoping Yuzu would meet his eyes. When a sniff and a sob escaped the other, he understood why and forgot all hesitation. Instead he got closer and pulled Yuzuru into his arms.

He was surprised when the young man started sobbing, face hidden in Javier’s shoulder.

He’d expected Yuzu to be angry at him. To fight him over this decision to aim for silver only and support Yuzu for gold. To maybe be moved to tears when Javi gave his reasons. But this…

Still, he kept his arms tight around his teammate, rubbing his back and murmuring things against his hair.

It took several minutes for Yuzu to calm down and Javi remembered his mother always tucked handkerchiefs in all his pant pockets when he left home. So he dug and indeed found out and gave it to Yuzu to make himself presentable before showing his face again.

“Sorry…” Yuzu said softly.

“You have nothing to be sorry for. But please talk to me.”

Yuzu sighed and nodded.

“I cry because… Javi words touch me. And… very grateful… but also… very sad… Javi is only rival… who if win, is ok. And that is good. That is comfortable. Javi is… very precious to me. But soon, will lose that… I just… I don’t want Javi retire…”

“Yuzu, you won’t lose me. We can still be friends!”

Yuzu shook his head.

“Not same.”

“Agreed. But still…”

Javi hesitated, but since Yuzu still looked upset, he decided to lay all his cards on the table.

“Yuzu… I didn’t want to say it now, because… well, there’s another year to go, for one. And… it’s not 100% sure… but… I’ve talked to Brian and he essentially agreed…”

“Agreed?”

“To have me do a sort of coaching internship.”

“Internship…”

“Yes. Here, at TCC. Learn… how to coach. Then take knowledge back to Spain. But also maybe work here. Sadly, coaching in Spain isn’t likely to pay the bills.”

“Javi… become coach here?”

“Yes… maybe… So… if you’re ok with it… me being part of team Yuzu could be a long term thing…”

Next thing he knew, Yuzu pounced on him and hugged him tight, muttering “yes, yes!” and “please” and making Javi chuckle.

“I guess you like the idea!”

“I love idea! I want Javi coach!”

“Don’t let Brian hear you! He’ll get jealous!”

Yuzu laughed and to Javi it was the best thing he’d heard… well, since the last time he’d heard Yuzu laugh, in Japan.

And it was something he wanted to keep hearing for a long time still.

**Author's Note:**

> I seriously need to stop making Yuzu cry in my stories OTZ


End file.
